Just my way of sharing with family, friends, and anyone who will listen, the things that I have learned about my ancestors with a little bit about myself and my own little family in the mix.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Happy Birthday To Me! I Am Forty.

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So folks, I have had a beautiful birthday today. I had lunch with my best friend at a restaurant called Burger Mondays in my hometown. Oh my goodness...Happy Birthday to me! This joint has the tastiest burger with homemade fries. Oh I am having heart palpitations right now reminiscing about it. Whoo! Okay...composure please return. Alright I am okay now. We laughed and laughed and it was really a beautiful moment because I looked at her and looked at myself and knew how far we had come. I have known her for over 20 years. We met in college in our freshman year and that was it. We speak the same language.No big party today. That's okay, I am certainly not into all that and besides, there are really more important things. For example, my children's Open House at their school was tonight. I am already well acquainted with my daughter's teacher because she had my son in her class two years ago. My concern was with meeting my son's second grade teacher. I need to see the person who will be harnessing the power of my son's brain over the next year. I need to know she will challenge him and that she has his back. I am happy to say now after meeting her, I think she is up to the challenge.I will definitely do something special, like go out to eat with my husband and family over the weekend. So don't worry Y'all, I am for real going to celebrate!Anyway, I am now 40. I am so far really digging it because I feel now like I am truly a grown up. I don't worry so much about how others view me. I feel at home in my imperfect skin.So now that I have joined the forty club, what sort of advice do you out there have for really making the most out of this age?An interesting thing came up in conversation with my son as I was going through the whole bedtime routine. He said, "Mom, I know I will never know as much as you." He's a sweet kid who really loves his mommy. I appreciated the nod to me but I quickly told him something that I think is so important regardless, of what age you are or circumstance in life you're at. I said, "Son, that's sweet but you may very well eventually know a lot more than me. Frankly, I hope you do. The important thing is to never stop learning. You are never done with that."I feel learning should always be on the "to do" list. So with that being said, I know there are a ton of people out there who have gained wisdom through life's experiences that I would love some feedback from.What's your advice for someone who has just turned 40?

16 comments:

My advice to you is to be true to yourself...Love and Love hard. That is a great ingredient for living. I say write a bucket list of all the things you want to do and start marking them off one by one.

Time after you hit 40 goes at supersonic speed. This is the time to NOT waste any time. If there are things that you have dreamed about doing, get started. If you have fears that have impeded your progress, find a way to conquer them and move on. Do it....whatever it is....

I recently retired and turned 60 last month and life is better than ever! The best advise I can give is...Know yourself and own it!! Be true to you and everything else will fall into place. I would also share one of my favorite "words to live by" that I heard in a movie (can't remember the title), goes something like...The decisions we make in an instant are the ones that define our true character. I try to keep that in mind in all that I do and say.

Now this I love Sandra! Know thy self and own it. I have been really feeling this one lately. I finally feel like a grown up and I am not going to put up with nonsense anymore. Thank you so much for the birthday blessings!

Advice? Well, as someone who hit forty a short eleven years ago, my advice is to stock up on reading glasses to help with all of your family history research. :) Ya, the "after 40" eye thing is really annoying.

Seriously though, do enjoy time with your kids as much as possible, because time really does go by so fast. Before you know it, they're leaving for college, getting married, etc.

Happy Birthday!! Being in my 60s now and headed toward 70 at a rapid clip, I'd say take care of your physical self. Make sure you are getting your teeth and gums checked and take care of what needs to be taken care of. If you notice a nagging pain or discomfort, get it checked out. Keep the weight off. Keep moving. Take care of your knees and feet ;-) Best way to keep doing what you love and enjoying life is to have a well working, healthy body to do it in.

I have to agree with Kristin. You have to take care of your health, before you know you will be sixty and wonder where the time went. My old Irish grandmother would say "Your health is your wealth." and that is true. Happy Birthday

A Quote By Rumi

A Quote By Philip Carr-Gomm

When we know about our ancestors, when we sense them as living and as supporting us, then we feel connected to the genetic life-stream, and we draw strength and nourishment from this.

A Quote By Laurence Overmire

Over the course of the millennia, all these ancestors in your tree, generation upon generation, have come down to this moment in time to give birth to you. There has never been, nor will ever be another like you. You have been given a tremendous responsibility. You carry the hopes and dreams of all those who have gone before. Hopes and dreams for a better world. What will you do with your time on this Earth? How will you contribute to the ongoing story of humankind?